Somatic Experiencing: Healing Trauma Stored in the Body
Trauma is not just something that lives in our thoughts—it’s something that settles deep within our bodies, in our bones, muscles, breath, and nervous system. While talk therapy helps address the cognitive side of trauma, Somatic Experiencing (SE) invites us to engage with the wisdom of the body, the place where much of our unprocessed pain remains.
Created by trauma expert Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing is a body-centred healing method designed to gently help us release stored stress and reclaim safety within our bodies. This practice helps us get in touch with the body’s innate ability to heal, helping us restore equilibrium after traumatic events.
Whether you’re a trauma survivor, a therapist, or someone simply seeking deeper mind-body healing, this article offers an invitation to explore healing through movement, sensation, and presence.
Why Somatic Experiencing Works
Traditional therapy often focuses on the mind, using words, memories, and cognitive processes to address trauma. While this is valuable, Somatic Experiencing works directly with the nervous system, where trauma is stored in the body.
When we experience a traumatic event, our bodies often become trapped in a fight, flight, or freeze response. These survival mechanisms are designed to help us react to danger, but when trauma is not fully processed, the body remains stuck in these states of tension and hyperarousal. Somatic Experiencing helps us safely complete these responses, allowing the body to release the stored tension and restore balance.
Instead of focusing on the narratives of trauma, SE works with the sensory experience of the body. By tuning into sensations like tightness, pressure, warmth, or numbness, we can gently allow the body to release its trauma without overwhelming the nervous system.
How Somatic Experiencing Works: A Body-Centred Approach to Healing
Somatic Experiencing encourages us to be fully present in our bodies, observing sensations rather than trying to analyse or re-live traumatic events. It acknowledges that healing occurs when we allow the body’s natural processes to unfold, rather than forcing them.
The process begins by gently paying attention to how trauma manifests in the body, then working through gradual releases of tension. Through SE, we can:
Complete the Trauma Response: By allowing the body to complete the fight, flight, or freeze response in a controlled and safe way, we can release the residual stress that remains trapped.
Rebuild the Body’s Safety Mechanisms: SE works to restore a sense of safety and calm to the nervous system, helping the body move out of constant hypervigilance and back into a state of relaxation.
Process Sensory Information: Instead of focusing solely on memories or cognitive thought patterns, SE helps us tune into the sensory experience of the body, allowing feelings, tensions, and sensations to shift naturally.
What You’ll Need to Begin Somatic Experiencing
You don’t need any special tools or equipment to begin practicing Somatic Experiencing. It’s a deeply personal practice that can be done alone or with the guidance of a trained practitioner. Here’s what you’ll need to begin:
Presence and Awareness: The foundation of SE is being present with your body and paying attention to the sensory information it provides. Begin by simply noticing how your body feels at any given moment, without judgment.
A Comfortable Space: Find a quiet, safe environment where you can relax and focus. You may want to lie down, sit in a comfortable chair, or even stand—whatever feels most natural to you.
Curiosity: SE is about developing a curious relationship with your body. Be open to noticing sensations and feelings that arise, even if they are unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
Patience: Somatic Experiencing is a gradual process. It’s important to take things at your own pace and trust that the body’s wisdom will guide you through the process when you’re ready.
Starting the Practice: A Simple SE Exercise
If you’re new to Somatic Experiencing, here’s a simple exercise you can try on your own:
Find a Comfortable Position: Sit or lie down in a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. Close your eyes if that helps you focus.
Tune Into Your Body: Begin by bringing your awareness to your breath. Feel the rise and fall of your chest or belly with each inhale and exhale.
Notice Sensations: Start to notice any sensations in your body. Are there areas of tension, warmth, or numbness? Do you feel heavy or light? Just observe these sensations without trying to change them.
Explore the Sensations: As you identify a sensation (like tightness in your chest or tension in your shoulders), bring your awareness to that area and notice how it shifts. Try to stay with the sensation for a moment, allowing it to evolve naturally.
Take Your Time: If the sensation becomes overwhelming, pause and take deep breaths. It’s okay to take breaks and return to the practice when you feel ready.
End with Grounding: Once you’ve spent some time tuning into your body, ground yourself by taking a few slow breaths and feeling your connection to the earth beneath you. You can place your feet firmly on the ground or imagine roots growing from your body into the earth.
Somatic Experiencing as a Path to Healing
Somatic Experiencing offers a body-first approach to healing trauma, helping you reconnect with your body and process the deeply held stress that affects your nervous system. Unlike traditional therapy, which focuses primarily on thoughts and memories, SE allows you to feel and release trauma at the somatic level, where it’s stored.
With practice, Somatic Experiencing can help you not only process past trauma but also build resilience, restore balance, and reclaim your body’s natural ability to heal.
Whether you’re seeking to heal from trauma, stress, or burnout, Somatic Experiencing offers a way to restore safety and regain a sense of wholeness, one breath, one sensation at a time.